Dollhouse

Dollhouse Day: Haul Video & New Items

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Happy Friday!

I wanted to come on here to share some new items I picked up for my dollhouse as well as some items I received for my birthday.

The video is a little choppy and I am sorry for that. I filmed it in different sections and it wasn’t until I was going to edit that I decided I wanted them to be a video all on their own. Still I think you will enjoy seeing what I got.

The first things were items from Miniature Crush. This was my first time ordering from them and I am really happy with my purchase.

In the video below you can see my purchases but I ordered a 3 pack of adorable guinea pigs which I really just love! They are so sweet! I was going to also make them a little C&C cage like we had for my real life guinea pigs but my son suggested just having them placed randomly in the house and I kind of love that idea!

I also purchased these pretty door knobs for the interior doors of the bedroom and bathroom. I am building my own doors so these are going to work out really well.

While I was shopping around I saw they had these little light switches and I loved the idea of adding this detail to the rooms. I am considering decorating them first but we will have to see how ambitious I get.

I had originally started my order because I needed to get these faucets for the upstairs bathroom and these railings for the bottom of the staircase. I am happy with these as well and think that the spindles may need to be trimmed a bit but that they will look great once they are all painted.

I also was kindly gifted some lovely dollhouse items for my birthday. The first was this book on building a garden shed by Julie Warren. If you haven’t visited Julie’s channel I always recommend it. She is such a talented miniaturist and an amazing teacher. I also received another of her books on building furniture and there are some really wonderful projects. The last item is the puzzle dollhouse and furniture. I had mentioned in the video I thought it might be 1/24th scale but it’s actually half scale from what I was able to research. I am still thinking of putting this together soon I have so many ideas! I was also realizing that I haven’t added anything to the Alice’s Dreamy Bedroom room box since the first video and I was wondering if you would like to see more on that? I also have a Christmas room box kit I would love to get done for the holidays!

The last items were from The House of Miniatures and I was able to pick up 3 kits on Ebay. I am going to use the Chippendale Desk Kit (Kit #40042) to make new pieces for my old childhood kit I had put together in 1988. It’s missing a drawer and the drop down so I am going to use this kit as a template to remake those parts and then use the new kit to make furniture for another project.

As part of this purchase I also received the Chippendale Low Boy (Kit #40024) which I may put in the living room right next to the front door.  Lastly I received the Chippendale chest on chest (Kit #40009) that I think might go in the bedroom along with the desk.

So there you have it! Lots of fun dollhouse ideas. What do you think, should add to the Alice Dreamy Bedroom or start up the puzzle house? Please let me know if the comments.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

You can watch the video by clicking here.

 

 

This Week in the Studio: Frustrations with Starting a New Business

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Happy Monday!

Today I am sharing my weekly studio vlog and it was a bit of a challenge. Most of the week went well as I was able to get some studio clean up done and I also set up my new writing binder for a new story I am working on. I have signed up for a Self-Publishing course and I am really excited for it. To prepare I began with getting my current work in progress. I write all new stories by hand first in a notebook. My first edit comes when I type it into my computer. There is something about writing hand to paper that just connects me to the story in a way the keys don’t. It’s a fun way to get to know my characters and their world.

I set up a binder which is a new system for me, that is going to hold all my story information. Characters, worlds, plot, chapters that sort of thing. In addition to the one I am writing there are several others waiting to be edited so they can be self-published. I would love to have a book ready by the end of the year to publish-even it’s just all the editing is done.

When I first saw the class I was really excited and signed up for the waiting list. I have been following the author for a while and I really love her approach to career and this course feels in alignment with my own career goals. I’ll be sure to keep you posted as to how it’s all going.

The other goal I had this week was to print the sticker sheets I have been creating and add them to my shop. Theoretically this was going to be easy. The hard part of conception and creating the art was over right? I was so wrong.

I have been wanting to turn my art into stickers forever and I have tried over the years and basically ended up really, really unhappy with my cutting machines.

I finally thought I had it all worked out and then the machine (my newest one) was giving me issues. I managed to solve those issues only to have my printer give me problems. In the end, I have re-designed my stickers and I have one sheet available for purchase-woohoo!!! I am very hopeful that I will have the rest of the stickers done and ready for purchase by the end of the week.

To celebrate the sticker sheets are shipping for free so yay! You can purchase a sheet here if, like me, you love your coffee too 🙂

I will also share a secret little item that, for now, only you my faithful blog readers will know about. I have a new journal for sale in my shop too! If you have been following along in my Make a Journal Series this is the journal I make and this Friday the last of the videos will go live. I will also promote this journal for sale so if you would like to pick it up before then you can find it here.

So that was what was going on this week in the studio. I have lots of new projects in the works and I am hoping to have some new dollhouse content up if I could just decide on the upstairs flooring. I still think I want full carpeting but I am really not sure. I will keep you posted.

I hope your summer is going well. My oldest two have been enjoying camp for the past few weeks and I have been playing chauffeur. Looking forward to next week when the schedule quiets down for a few before another week of camp.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

 

 

 

 

Dollhouse Updates: Painting the Ceiling, Door and More

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I was able to spend a little time in the dollhouse today.

If you read last week’s post you know that I had a few things I wanted to work on this week and I was able to check them all of my list along with painting the ceiling-a project I have been putting off for some unknown reason.

I was able to paint the exterior window trim trying out the gray color I painted the door and I really like it. I am still deciding if I want to add shutters but with the door fully painted and the exterior colors mostly settled on I was ready to wrap up some things on the first floor.

I spackled the kitchen window and touched up the paint there. I used a fine wood filler and just smeared it into the cracks where I didn’t cut the wood perfectly. I also added some to the scallops on the front of the house to close up some very noticeable gaps I had.

As I mentioned I painted the ceiling and I have decided to move on to the second floor and get the walls prepped and the floor done before going forward with the kitchen. I think it will be nice to see all the walls and floors done ready for “moving in” so to speak so I’m going to see how that goes. I really want to tile the bathroom and make my own tiles so I need to do some research on the best way to do that.

So that is my little update for this week. For next week I am hoping to have a little character ready to introduce to you. More on that to come.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettant

Dollhouse Update 2024

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I am excited to finally be sharing a dollhouse update with you.

If you remember I shared how I was focusing on my shop and getting things ready for the holiday. My dollhouse had become a storage place for fabric as I made lots of handmade gifts for the kids and friends. January has been filled with colds, a new job and lots of just being.  I had some amazing plans for the new year but things that needed my attention were coming first so my little dollhouse sat patiently waiting.

Then I was able to get some work done and do some filming! Only to lose the footage lol. Ah well, things happen. Still I am excited to share my little update for my fellow miniaturists and let you know that I should be able to plan regular weekly updates going forward. So let’s see what’s new!

I stained the floors on the first level. I am really happy with how it came out. I used Minwax Natural 209 and it really makes them look like hardwood floors-instead of cut up Popsicle sticks!

I finished the kitchen window and painted the door white on one side but have decided instead to make it gray. I was going to have the outside of the door be white which I liked against the pink siding but decided I really like the gray so I am going to have the door gray inside and out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also started cutting out the pieces for my first ever piece of furniture! I am following Julie Warren’s tutorial in her book “Creating Dolls’ House Kitchens in 1/12th Scale” and making the sink unit found on page 120. I want to put the sink under the kitchen window and then want to see how much room I have so I can plan out the way the front door will swing open and also the direction of the stairs.

This week I am hoping to finish painting the door and then decide what color I want to do the window frames on the outside of the house. Do I want shutters? That might be fun! Once I decide I would like to finish the outside frame, spackle the interior of the kitchen window, touch up the paint and then continue on with the sink. I am planning to put all the fixed pieces into the kitchen and then move on to the next floors before I go ahead and decorate etc.

So that’s where I am at. I am really excited to get back into my regular miniature making and sharing the journey with you.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Dollhouse Update: New Wallpaper & a Front Door

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Happy Sunday everyone!

Yesterday I visited a dollhouse store that’s about 20 minutes from me. The owner was wonderful and I was able to pick up a few little bits for the dollhouse including a door knob. I also found a really neat old book about doll houses and miniatures that really made me happy! It’s called “Chats on Old Miniatures” by J.J. Foster and it was written in 1908. I was still able to find copies on Thrift Books (affiliate link) if you are interested. You know how much I love journals and books so this was a really fun find. I plan on keeping the book in tact and haven’t decided if I will try to repair it at all-I am thinking I will leave it as is as a collectible with my miniatures but I might have some plans for some of the imagery in it.

I also picked up some nice wood from the shop. I don’t know about you but one of the hardest things for me to find is wood for miniatures so this was a nice find. I am planning to use it for making the furniture and the kitchen cabinets.

I designed a fun wallpaper for the kitchen. I am calling it “tea party” as it has some fun tea pots and tea cups on it along with yummy treats. If you would like it for your own dollhouse you can buy it in my Etsy shop here.

The door has been built and I am really proud of it. I haven’t made anything like this before so I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. Now I am just trying to decide on what color to paint it. If you have any ideas I would love to hear it!

I am also trying to think of the name of the little cottage. I want to write a story around it and I am feeling it start to form so I will be sure to keep you updated on it as well.

I have decided to change the direction of the stairs so you can see them better and I plan to use this tutorial from Julie Warren to build an under the stairs cabinet but that’s going to be down the road a bit. As I am writing this I am thinking that once I do the window in the kitchen and attach the door I might move upstairs to do the walls and flooring and then let Season #2 of the dollhouse be the decorating and furniture making. It’s so much fun I just keep coming up with ideas.

Well that’s it for me today. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

Dilettante’s Dollhouse: Finishing the Windows & the Trim

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Hi everyone and welcome to dollhouse Sunday! I have moved my schedule around a bit and will be sharing all things dollhouse and miniature on Sundays again. I think I have settled into our fall routine finally and am excited to keep the content coming on a bit more of a regular schedule.

Today I am sharing a quick update on the dollhouse. The living room windows are painted and I also added a little wood filler to fill in the cracks and spaces in some areas. The chair rail is up and painted and in today’s video I paint and install the baseboards in the living which really finishes the room off so nicely.

You may remember I took down the tile paper I had put up in the kitchen so today I went ahead and added another cardboard backing so I can put wallpaper up on. I am still deciding on what kind and may end up designing some myself if I can’t find anything. I am not really sure the style I am looking for so I might need to search out some more kitchen inspiration.

I have started the front door and completed the door frame and made a start on the door itself. I also made a start on the kitchen floor and am running the wood flooring in the opposite direction as the living room but I think I will stain them all the same color.

Well that’s all for today’s update. I hope your weekend was a good one and that maybe you were able to get in some creative time as well.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante